While You're Here
by EvilRegalC
Summary: In search of an opportunity to boost her career, the model Regina Mills embarks on a journey to London, unaware of how that decision can change her life as she knows it.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, guys! So, Lana almost had us killed with that video from her shoot, but that actually gave me a new idea for a story (and I know I still have 2 others to finish, I will), but I couldn't resist. I hope you like it, and I will try to keep this one light and fun. Let me know what you thought!**

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Chapter 1.

**\- Thursday -**

**January 3, 2019**

A new year, a new life. Isn't that what everyone usually says?

Even the trees are bare, providing an opportunity for new leaves to grow on their branches, once the snow melts away and the winter scenes are no longer part of the streets of New York City. The year had just begun, and everyone is still determined to fulfill their new year's resolutions. Parents promise to spend more time with their kids, taking them to the Rockefeller center for an afternoon of ice skating, before school starts after the holiday break.

Regina had done the same, actually. Had taken her godson for an afternoon of fun, and had bought two hot cocoas, one for each one of them, as they sat together on a bench and she struggled to find the best way to tell him she would be gone for a whole month.

It hadn't been easy, Henry is like a son to her, but nothing worth doing is easy, right? It's a lifetime opportunity, traveling to Europe and shoot with the best photographers in the world. The first month is for them to test the waters, and then they will decide what is her future from then on.

Her father had been hesitant as well, not really ecstatic to find out his princess was considering moving all the way to Europe. But he understood it is too good of an opportunity to pass, and he knows she doesn't really have anything that keeps her there, in New York.

"Are you sure about this, sweetheart?" her father had asked, wrapping his arms around her body when traitor tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I have to, daddy," she had said, sighing when he pressed a lingering kiss on her temple.

And so now here they are, wrapped in each other's arms, hugging goodbye before she has to leave the country, and family, behind for a month. She knows this is hard for him too, if not harder. She is his only daughter, and her mother had abandoned them to remarry a rich guy, leaving her father to raise her the best way he could on his own.

She owns him this. The opportunity to repay all he has done for her. She will win more money with this job, she can give him the retirement everyone dreams of.

One of his hands moves to wipe a tear off her cheek, cupping her face in his palm as she looks behind him at the shiny dashboard - she has about forty-five minutes before they begin the boarding, she should probably start heading towards the security if she wants to make sure she catches her flight on time.

But her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a notification on her phone, a new message displayed on the screen when she reaches for the device placed inside her purse: _Have a safe flight, I will miss sleeping beside you._

Graham. Regina sighs at the sight of his name, quickly putting the phone back inside her bag.

She tells her father that it's Emma, letting her know Henry was really upset that he didn't get to say goodbye at the airport - she had received that same text earlier in the day, so it is not really a lie, and her father has more important things to worry about than the cop who keeps his daughter company in the lonely nights.

When it comes to relationships, Regina has a poor record compared to other women at her age. Her longest one had lasted for ten years and had begun when she was only sixteen, having fallen in love with a boy during her riding lessons. His name was Daniel, and he was wonderful, caring. He was two years older than her, and she thinks that's what pulled them apart, the different points of view each one had of life. Daniel wanted to marry, settle down, but Regina hadn't been ready for that, not at that time. She was just starting her modeling career, she would need time before she could be committed to starting a family. And so Daniel had told her they shouldn't waste more time, fighting for a relationship without any future.

It had been hard, but she eventually overcame the loss - that's when Graham came into the picture, providing her the opportunity to have just what she wanted (or she thought she did): a relationship with no strings attached. It lasts until today - he's just a good distraction, after all, and she is sure she is the same to him, so she never saw a reason to put a stop to it as long as they know where they stand. She feels a bit lonely sometimes, but she quickly shuts that voice in her head telling her that maybe she made a mistake when she let Daniel go. She tells herself she doesn't need a boyfriend, she was always an independent woman, her father had raised her that way.

So, yes, maybe Graham is her dirty little secret, but, quite frankly, she doesn't intend to do it otherwise.

With a last hug, Regina wraps her arm around her father's, walking with him towards the security. This is it. This is where she really needs to let go.

"I will call you as soon as I land," she promises, giving him a last kiss on his cheek, before she crosses the gate in the direction of her new life.

**...**

Regina lands in London seven hours later - 9 PM in local time - feeling exhausted and sore.

She needs to get to the hotel and take a proper bath, and then find a place where she can eat a nice plate of food, something that will make up for the junk food it was served throughout the day on the plane. She feels nauseous and tired, her muscles aching from the time she spent sitting on that seat.

_God_, she really looks forward to that bath, and to the silk nightgown she threw last-minute inside her bag. Maybe she will skip that nice plate of food for another hour in bed, she thinks as she walks towards the baggage claim, collecting her bag before stopping in her tracks to reach for her cell phone inside her purse.

She is searching for her father's number when her phone is, suddenly, tossed away from her hands. It lands on the floor with a harsh thud, a man's voice beating her in her growl of despair as she hears, "I'm so sorry, I'm... shit!" he winces, his blue eyes shifting towards the broken phone in Regina's hand, "I'm a wanker, I'm so sorry, I'll pay it back."

Regina hasn't really realized what happened until she lifts her eyes to see the man looking at her with an apologetic look on his face. Her frown deepens, her jaw tightening as she is finally aware that it was him, who made her lose the grip on her phone.

"Did you not see where you were heading?" she asks through gritted teeth, tossing the phone back into her purse with a movement that makes the man step back. He seems to be out of words, his hand running through his blonde hair as he seems to think about what to do next.

"I..."

"I don't want your money, just... get out of my way," Regina picks up her bag, her dark eyes rolling as she pushes past him and makes her way towards the cab stand.

So much for an uneventful evening.

**...**

The hotel is nice, at least. Well-located. It's just behind the street of a nice park, where Regina can see herself going out for a run every morning, before spending the day scooped up inside a dark studio. It's one of her favorite things to do, actually, blow off some steam before a busy day at work. It's Regina's escape from reality, so she's glad she won't have to give that up - that's at least one thing that actually worked out about this trip.

That, and the huge bathtub that waits for her as soon as she steps foot into her assigned bedroom.

She places the bag over the bed, then heads downstairs again before she feels too lazy to do it. She still needs to call her father and Emma, and then she will be free to do as she pleases, to spend the night inside that bathtub if she so well desires.

It's when she reaches the reception that the events of the day start to catch up with her. She doesn't have a damn phone, she is hours away from everyone, she doesn't even have a friend to share a coffee with after a day like today. _God_, how did she think this was a good idea? How did she leave her father, and Emma, for an attempt to get a job that seems way out of her league? She should just go home to her family, to the small shoots that give her enough money for her to live. She needs the weekends with her godson, and the dinners with her father, even the stupid jokes her best friend makes about Regina's lack of (or so she thinks so) love life. She thinks she _almost_ misses Graham.

She feels an expected tear running down the skin of her cheek, just as she accepts the phone from the man at the front desk. Her fingers move quickly to wipe the wetness off her face, dealing her best friend's number and relishing in her confused, "Hello?" when she finally picks up the phone.

"Emma," Regina sighs, relieved, glad to hear a familiar voice.

"Regina?" the blonde asks in confusion, "Whose number is this?"

Regina actually smiles at the baffled tone in her friend's voice, and tells herself the last few minutes were just a relapse, perfectly normal for someone spending the near future in a totally foreign country. She just needs to cool down, sleep it off. Tomorrow she will, hopefully, feel so much better.

"I'm calling from the hotel. I had an incident with my phone."

"An incident?" Emma asks, and Regina just nods her head as she recalls that moment in her mind.

Now that she's here, sitting at the hotel front desk, she definitely can think more clearly about everything. Can recall the British asshole who bumped into her, his piercing blue eyes wide opened as he promised that he would pay for a brand-new phone. It's absurd, really, as if she would accept his money out of pity, "Some idiot bumped into me and I dropped my phone. I'll buy another one tomorrow, I just wanted to let you know I'm fine."

And she is, really, she just needs a long bath and a well-deserved sleep to warm her up for the next day.

"If you need anything, you know you can call," Emma tells her, needlessly, though it feels good to hear the actual words coming from her best friend's mouth, "And call me once you buy the new phone, Henry will want to make a video call."

She loves that boy, Regina smiles, her gaze moving towards the man at the front desk, who gives her a 'be quick' look when she gets ready to shift the conversation towards her godson. She could spend hours just talking about that child, but, right... this was meant to be a quick phone call, and she still needs to call her father next.

"I will, but I have to go now," Regina tells her, a hint of hesitation in her voice. She wishes she could have a little more time, this was the only highlight in a terrible, hectic day.

"Alright, Regina, be safe, and good luck."

The brunette hangs up the phone at those words, a sigh of disappointment leaving her lips. She dials her father's number next, muttering to the guy who keeps staring at her to just charge the phone bill to her room.

**...**

The bath is a good idea. A long, and hot bath, just what Regina needed to get her mind off the events of the day.

She hasn't even bothered to unpack anything first, had just made use of the hotel samples, shampooing her hair with the white lotion while she soaked in the water for about forty-five minutes.

_One month_, she repeats to herself, the mantra she will cling to while she has to spend time away from her family. It's not that long, thirty days, and she doesn't even know if she will be selected for the job. She thought it will be easier, to be honest, she doesn't have that many friends, but the ones she left behind make up for the small number. There's her father, and Emma, and Henry, of course, and her agent Mal when she is not traveling around the world herself. And well... there's Graham, but he's not really a friend, is he? He is just a booty call and the least of her problems right now.

There's a part of her that wants to believe this is the opportunity she needs, the opportunity to start a new life in a new country. She doesn't have anything in New York - except her four friends, that is - but everyone needs to have its own life, she can't live for the others.

They understand, and they support her.

Maybe she needs to start looking at this with fresh eyes, she decides, maybe something good can come from it.

She steps out of the bathtub feeling calmer and refreshed, reaching for a towel to wrap around her naked body. She will put on her pajamas and have a good night of sleep, and tomorrow, everything will be brighter.

Her black suitcase is still resting on top of the bed when she steps into the bedroom, her hand reaching for the zipper to open the lid.

"You have to be kidding me," she mutters to herself, finding a bunch of man clothes tucked inside the narrow space.

Could this day get any worse? It wasn't enough that she broke her phone, now her clothes are lost somewhere too.

She closes the bag with a needless amount of force, falling to the bed with a heavy sigh.

_C'mon, Regina, there has to be something here that will help you find the owner of this bag,_ she thinks to herself. She doesn't like the idea of snooping through this man's clothes, but she will do it if it means she can have her own things back.

Sighing in despair, she sticks her hand in one of the front pockets, finding nothing inside as she was already expecting.

She moves to search the inside, then, undoing one of the zippers - there are socks, and _God_, some pairs of boxers, but nothing that would be useful.

It's when she is about to give up and contact her airline, that she catches something from the corner of her eye, a flyer for a bar, she supposes, 'The Rabbit Hole' written in big and neon colors. And then on the back, there's a name in bold letters, together with today's date and 'live performance' written on top.

Well, it's not like she has any other clues, is it?

With a sigh, she puts back on her clothes and places the flyer safely inside her coat pocket.

No doubt this year is off to a great start.


	2. Chapter 2

**(I'm sorry this is so late!)**

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Chapter 2.

**\- Thursday -**

**January 3, 2019**

She finds that the bar it's just a couple of blocks from the hotel, in a hidden alley, clearly meant for the locals and not the tourists.

It's really big, to be honest, but not as unpleasant as Regina had thought. There are a few tables in the front, with colorful tablecloths covering its surface, and there is a pool table in the back, a fireplace lightening up that corner of the room.

It's... nice, truthfully, and it's clear she's not the only one holding this opinion about this place.

The bar is crowded, all the tables are full as people listen to someone singing on the stage. She can't quite see it from where she stands at the door, but she can tell whoever is performing has a good voice. Soft, comforting, maybe a bit hoarse, but she finds it quite beautiful.

She sneaks towards the bar in hopes to get a better view, and sure enough, _that_ is not the view she had expected to be faced with. Up there, singing on the stage, it's the man who bumped into her at the airport, the same man who broke her damn phone. Regina has the sudden memory of his bright, blue eyes, but she never got the chance to get a good view of him. He's handsome, she has to admit, sitting in the glow of the stage lights, a guitar across his lap.

She watches his fingers run over the strings, his eyes closing as he sings. He's smiling, a dimpled smile that lets her know how much he's enjoying it. It's pleasing to the eye, not to mention how attractive he actually is...

"Hello, can I offer you our menu?" a brunette with red highlights approaches Regina from the other side of the counter, a friendly smile on her lips. She's young, maybe over twenty-five, but definitely younger than Regina. She is handing her something she now knows is the menu, and the brunette accepts it with a polite 'Thank you', only now realizing how hungry she actually is.

She hasn't really eaten too much in the airplane, and she could use a healthy, and delicious salad... Chicken salad it is.

"Coming right up. John! Get your arse out of that seat and let the lady sit down, would you?" the girl pats a man's arm, who turns to her with a confused look on his face.

He's a big man, really big, with curly hair falling to his shoulders, his beard covering most of his chin.

Regina is quick to assure, "Oh, no, it's alright," in an attempt to avoid any more problems, but the man is already on his feet, his voice surprisingly gentle when he tells her, "I'm sorry, lass."

"He's our security, he shouldn't even be sitting here," the girl explains with her eyes focused on the man, her face a clear warning that he should return to his assigned spot. The man sighs in defeat, but tilts his head in a silent sign of acceptance before disappearing into the crowd, while the girl turns to face Regina one more time, "I'm sorry, he's Robin's friend, he likes to watch him play."

Oh... so his name is Robin, Regina muses, recalling seeing the name written on the back of the flyer...

_Oh, God. _

Oh, no, God, of course, it had to be _him_.

She reaches for the piece of paper still tucked inside her coat pocket, the same flyer she had found inside the bag. Sure enough, '**Robin Locksley**' is written in bold letters, apparently the name of the man she had the _pleasure_ to meet at the airport.

The world really is small... but then again, he was the only person with whom she had an encounter earlier today, he was the most likely possibility, wasn't he?

"Can I get you something to drink?" the brunette startles as the girl hands her a new menu, this one listing all the beverages available at the bar. Regina's eyes are immediately drawn to the 'fruit cocktails' section, just in time to hear the girl suggesting, "Lacey's appletinis are to die for," and well, that's not a bad idea.

It's not a bad idea at all.

**...**

It's half an hour and two drinks later when Robin finishes his set, making his way towards the bar to, no doubt, reward himself with a well-deserved beer.

Regina's attention is drawn as the girl reaches for a clean glass, pulling the handle of the draft tower, and letting the gold liquid fill the empty cup. She watches almost mesmerized before taking a sip of her own drink, only then noticing the blue eyes staring intently at her from the other end of the bar.

It's clear Robin recognizes her from earlier, which only makes Regina feel more embarrassed than she should, as if she is being a stalker somehow.

She sighs, and focus her attention back on her drink, telling herself that this is stupid, that the bar is a public space. She could stop here for a drink if she so well desired, and it's not like she is here because she wants to - she'd much rather be laying in bed with a book, to be honest, curled up under the covers, but it's not like she had much of a choice, is it?

Soon enough, she watches as Robin grabs his beer and starts walking in her direction, his British accent so soft and familiar when he tells her, "I thought I had seen you from up there."

Regina smiles to herself, her fingers fidgeting with the glass in her hands. Maybe he's not so insufferable, after all, her anger at him had time to vanish, and maybe they can have a civilized conversation... Or at least she thought, "You are here because of what happened to your phone?" Robin continues, succeeding in wipe the smile off her lips.

"No, I'm not," she tells him, a little annoyed now, "I told you I don't need your money-"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," Robin is quick to interrupt.

Regina takes a deep breath, tries to be reasonable and tell herself that she would think the same if she was in his place, that he probably hadn't even opened his bag since they left the airport, maybe too busy with his performance tonight to even notice such a thing. He's being sincere, she can tell, with his blue eyes wide open, regret written all over his face.

She decides to let this one slip, pointing to the bag now stationed between the two of them, and explaining, "I think we switched our bags earlier at the airport. I just want my clothes back."

Robin stares at the bag dumbfounded, it's almost comic. He's now a far cry from the confident man who meant to approach a woman at a bar tonight, and more resembled the guy she met earlier at the airport, the distracted and clumsy stranger. It's actually quite amusing how he runs a hand through his sandy, blonde hair, gesturing awkwardly to somewhere behind himself, and telling her, "I keep the luggage in the office, I didn't touch it yet."

_And thank God for that_, Regina can't help but think, almost red of embarrassment at the thought of Robin snooping through her things. It's not like there's something for her to be ashamed of inside that bag, it's just clothes, to be honest, but she thinks about her underwear, and how she had to see _his_ as she searched for some clue of where her bag could be, and it's private enough that she doesn't want Robin to see it.

Still, she nods her head, pushing those thoughts out of her mind when he stretches his hand out for her to take it.

"Robin Locksley," he says, unnecessarily, but she accepts his gesture, anyway, introducing herself as her eyes drift to their joined hands. His fingers are calloused from playing the guitar, she imagines, but his touch is actually pleasant.

_He_ is pleasant.

When he is not running through the airport, knocking people down as he passes.

"Come with me?" his voice brings her back to the present, watching him point towards the office again, harmlessly enough that she finds herself nodding her head.

She stands up from her seat to follow him through the crowd, and it doesn't go unnoticed that he makes a point of reaching for the bag, carrying it himself towards a narrow corridor, before opening the door that leads to the back office.

It's quite small, she notices, with a desk occupying most of the space, and a couch on the far corner. Regina's bag is placed beside Robin's things, his jacket covering most of the mess.

"I'm sorry," Robin chuckles, explaining, "We all have to share this place, and I have a few colleagues that are not as tidy as I am."

Regina rolls her eyes, but can't help but laugh softly at his words. 'Tidy' was not really the word she would choose when trying to describe this place - not even Robin's assigned little corner - but she's not the one who spends time here, and she's actually thankful that he's trying to break the ice, so she only shrugs in response, watches as Robin paves the way between all the mess until he's able to reach the bag, the way his muscles flex with the movement not going unnoticed by the brunette.

He has a good body, Regina thinks to herself, finds her eyes moving from his shoulders down his back, quickly catching a glimpse of his backside before she forces herself to keep her attention on the upper part of his body. She is only here for her belongings, she reminds herself, she's not here to flirt, not even if Robin has the body of a God, capable of stealing her attention with the simple movement of grabbing a bag-

"Here," the man places the suitcase in front of Regina, pointing to the tag wrapped around the handle and saying, "It has your name on it."

"Thank y-"

A buzz coming from his pocket interrupts her words, and she hears Robin muttering an apology as he reaches for his phone, a heavy sigh leaving his lips as his eyes study the words displayed on the screen, "I'm sorry, I need to run home. Do you need anything else?"

Regina frowns, but shakes her head, hopes it's not something bad that has him looking so worried all of a sudden.

Still, she grabs her bag and lets Robin walk her out of the office, turns to face him one more time and thank him again.

"No problem," he smiles, dimples and all, "I hope you enjoy London, Regina."

She watches him leave, and if her eyes cling to him until he's round the corner and out of sight, well... who can really blame her?

**\- Friday -**

**January 4, 2019**

It's foggy in the morning. A cold breeze floating in the air, the chilly wind hitting Regina's face as she runs through the park in a failed attempt to keep her mind distracted from the events of the day.

The park is rather empty at such an early hour, and Regina is truly thankful for the peacefulness it provides. Her meeting scheduled for today is not before the two in the afternoon, so she has plenty of time before she needs to get back to the hotel and get ready for the first day with the new agency.

She is nervous about it, it's not even worth trying to deny it. This is everything she ever dreamt of, exactly what she needs to take her modeling experience to the next level. She tries not to give it too much thought, but it's difficult when it involves such boost to her career. She doesn't really know what to expect from today, but whatever pushes her away from those thoughts is a welcome distraction.

Jogging is always a welcome distraction.

She runs for about forty-five minutes before she starts to slow her pace to a simple, quick march, walking towards a drinking fountain and splashing the cold water on her face. She takes a moment to regain her breath, and when she leans back down to drink some of the water this time, she almost loses her balance when something small collides with her legs, something furry and noisy, barking incessantly to draw the brunette's attention.

And then she hears, "Lady!" and her heart stops.

"I'm so sorry, Regina, she's probably thirsty," she watches as he latches the leash back on the dog's collar, pulling her away from Regina's legs and filling a bowl with the water from the fountain to give it to the pup.

The brunette waits speechless as her eyes study Robin's sweaty self, still a bit confused about how had she managed to run into _him_ yet again in less than twenty-four hours in this city, "It's alright, I... you have a dog?"

Robin wipes his wet hands on his own gym shorts, stands to face Regina and offers a small nod of his head.

"I have," he smiles, displaying the dimples on his cheeks, "She still needs a lot of training, though."

She shifts her gaze towards the little dog then, a small cocker spaniel with brown fur and big, black, adorable eyes. It can't be more than two months old, judging by how small the puppy is. It makes Regina remember the moment she set foot in Graham's house for the first time, their night being ruined by the big husky who kept barking at her until she decided it was better for her to leave. It's not like she is afraid of dogs, but she never considered herself an animal person, and it almost appears the dogs share the same opinion.

"She is... cute," she offers, with what she hopes is a convincing smile, "Though I never imagined you to be a cocker spaniel type of guy."

She cringes. What a stupid thing to say, really. It's not as though she knows him to the point of guessing what Robin's favorite dog breed is.

"You're right, I would've opted for a German Shepherd, but my apartment is pretty small," Robin smirks, bending down to run his hand through the dog's brown fur, "And my son is rather smitten with the 'Lady and the Tramp' film, so-"

"You have a son?" she can't help but ask, something changing in Robin's expression. His smile widens, and she feels her own lips tilting up at the sight of it, at the obvious adoration this man seems to have for his little boy. She knows the feeling too, it's exactly the same with Henry, and he's not even her child. _God_, she misses him terribly, she just can't wait to see him again, to be able to wrap him in her arms once she returns to New York after this crazy adventure.

"Why? You didn't think I would be a family type of guy either?" Robin catches her attention, and Regina feels the heat rising in her cheeks, hopes she is not blushing as hard as it feels, "I have a four-year-old boy. He was actually the reason why I had to run out so fast of our encounter last night."

"Oh... nothing serious I hope?"

"If you consider a tantrum before bed something serious," Robin smiles, and Regina smiles back, shifts her gaze towards the pup sitting at Robin's feet, "I've been away for the past week, and it's just me and him... he spent the week with a friend, so he just wanted me to put him to sleep last night."

She looks back at Robin then, notices his smile had diminished a little at his last words. She can't help but wonder what happened with his son's mother, why does it sound like she's not in their life anymore. It's really not her business to pry - she met the man last night, for God's sake - so she offers him the best sympathetic smile she can manage, takes a glance at the clock on her wrist before she says, "That's understandable. I shouldn't keep you then," she takes a step back, bites her lip before telling him, "And I have to run to the store to buy a new phone."

Robin laughs at that, picking up the bowl with the water for the dog and pouring what's left of the liquid on the grass, "I'm sorry about that too."

Regina turns, shrugging her shoulders as she walks the opposite direction of the man, "I'll see you around, Robin."

"Yeah..." she hears, though a bit quiet due to the distance, "I hope you will."

**...**

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Regina stares down at the brand new phone, sighing at the eight missed calls from Mal in contrast to the sad message she had received from Graham last night, asking if she was up for a 'private late-night call'.

She presses her lips together, not sure if she should feel insulted or flattered that he seems unable to spend a day without thinking of her to bring him release. Yes, there were more times than not, back in New York City, when Graham would drop by her house after his overnight shift, have an early morning session with Regina, right before she would make them coffee and leave the house for the day. She could say they had some sort of routine, but she would think that would end once she was far away in Europe.

Instead, it seems Graham decided to make this work from the other side of the ocean, and it's quite obvious that phone sex is one of the options on the table.

She doesn't really like to think that he only sees her as a sex object, had actually hoped that he would call just to see how she was doing, that they would be friends above everything else, but this is what they agreed on when they first started doing it, so she figures she can't really complain about his lack of affection.

'_I will call you tonight_,' she texts him without thinking too much, simple as that, before she focuses her attention back on the missed calls from Mal, a real friend who is worried about her and to whom she's happy to return the attention.

She presses the call button and waits for the woman to pick up the phone, which doesn't take too long before the blonde's voice echoes on the other side, a mixture of anger and concern when she asks, "Where the hell have you been?"

Regina bites her lip, knowing that her friend is absolutely right. She could've spared a call from the hotel reception, just as she did with Emma and her father, "I know, I'm so sorry, Mal, I'll explain everything-"

"Are you alright?" her agent asks, a wave of relief evident in her tone.

Regina nods her head, even if her friend can't really see her through the phone. She explains what happened with her own cell phone the day before, tells her about Robin and how they switched their bags, and why she didn't really have a minute to breathe until this exact moment. Her staying in this country didn't start as smoothly as she had hoped, had actually made her think twice about this whole adventure, though that's something she won't admit any time soon. Mal is one of her closest friends, and she imagines it hadn't been easy to get this opportunity for her, so she won't act like a spoiled brat over a minor hitch on her trip.

"I was so worried, Regina, where are you now?" the blonde asks from the other side, doesn't really give her time to answer before she offers, "Do you need me to reschedule your meeting with Jefferson?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Regina insists, shaking her head. It wouldn't be a good first impression to reschedule her first meeting with a new partner. Besides, she wants to get this done with, and the sooner she is done with the meeting, the sooner she will be able to breathe again, "I'm ready, I'm just... anxious."

"Don't be," Mal tells her, as if it's the simplest thing in the entire world.

Jefferson is one of the most renowned photographers in the entire industry. Had engaged in several types of projects throughout his career, though his area of expertise is fashion photography. His work has been published in the most prestigious magazines around the world, not to mention his photographs hanging around on the walls of several museums and galleries. It's quite an honor just to have the chance to even think about working with him, much less have the opportunity to actually do it.

So yes, she is more than entitled to be nervous. It's an opportunity of a lifetime, and she _needs_ to be well-succeed.

"He has seen your work, Regina, just do your best," Mal tries, but well, that's the problem, isn't it?

"My best is probably not enough," Regina admits, her voice almost a whisper.

Mal won't have any of it, though, and before she could let herself believe in such nonsense, her friend tells her, "You are one of my best talents, and you know it. So stop acting like a virgin on this and go get him."

Regina scoffs, can't help it, though she won't admit that Mal's words had actually put a smile on her face.

"I'm leaving the hotel," Regina puts on her jacket and reaches for her purse.

"Good, let me know how it went," Mal offers, hanging up the phone without even waiting for the brunette's goodbye.

Rolling her eyes in amusement, Regina steps out of the room, decided to give her best on this interview. She has nothing to lose, and if this really won't go anywhere in the end, she still has friends and family in New York to which she can return to at the end of the day.

**...**

She is lost. Wandering around in circles down the same block, and walking by the same building where she had been standing in front of ten minutes ago. It's the same building with the Starbucks on the corner, the one where she stopped to buy a hot beverage, which, at least, is being successful in keeping her warm while she faces the cold and tries to find the place where she is supposed to meet Jefferson.

She has fifteen minutes before the meeting is supposed to start.

Damn navigation system. She is still getting used to the new device, and she has no idea where she is, if she is near, or if she even walked by the studio without even realizing it. For all she knows, she may be standing in front of the right building already, but the GPS keeps making her wandering around. She should've just taken a cab, even if she thought she was close, but the thought of a bit of fresh air had seemed appealing to her, and she never imagined she would get lost with a GPS in hand.

She sighs in relief when she sees a yellow car approaching the sidewalk, considers taking that cab now, but something, or rather, someone catches her attention on the other side of the street, the car driving past her before she can actually ask the driver to stop.

Robin. Again. What are the odds?

He waves when he sees her too, crosses the street with Lady's leash in hand, the dog following with a happy wagging of her tail.

"It looks like you are a woman of her word," Robin tells her, a smile on his face in contrast to Regina's stunned look.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You did say you would see me around," he repeats her words from earlier, though Regina seems confused anyway, "Forget it, it was a joke, a lousy one, to be honest, but... it's good to see you again."

Regina tilts her head in appreciation, sighing when she remembers she doesn't really have time to stay here, catching up with Robin when she is minutes away from her interview, "I'm sorry, I really need to go, I'm late for an interview, and lost-"

"Maybe I can help with that last bit. Where do you need to go?" he has a frown on his face, worry, she might say, but maybe he does can help to find Jefferson's studio, so Regina shows him the address displayed on the screen of her phone, hoping he will be able to give her instructions and save her some time, "Do you know this address?"

She hopes, prays, he does.

"It happens that I do," he nods, proudly, "But I might want something in return."

That makes Regina frown displeased. Can't he see she is really in a hurry? That she has no time to lose with this nonsense? "I was wondering if you would accept to have dinner with me?"

Wait... what? Is he serious? His he really trying to take advantage of the whole situation?

Regina's frown deepens at his words, getting more restless as the minutes tick by.

"D-dinner?" she stammers, surprised.

"I feel awful about everything that happened, Regina. Please, let me make it up to you."

The brunette scoffs, can't help it, "I told you I don't need anything from you-"

"Alright, this sounded awful, the truth is..." Robin sighs, genuinely sorry about the way he chose to handle this issue, "I had wanted to ask you out since you showed up at the bar last night."

Regina almost feels her chin drop at those words, her cheeks turning an embarrassing shade of red, "You... you did?"

_That_ she was not expecting, at all. She never thought she had sparked any interest on Robin's part, considering they only have spoked more than a few minutes last night... Is he _really_ being serious? Or maybe he just wants to make up to her and this is an excuse so she won't feel bad about it. Either way, it comes as a surprise that Robin would choose to ask her on something resembling as a real date, and she really doesn't know what to do about it now.

"I just blew this whole thing, didn't I?" Robin asks, looking too much like a kicked puppy, "It's been years since I let myself be vulnerable enough to actually invite someone to go out with me, it seems I'm a bit rusty when it comes to that."

Regina loosens a little at that, manages to chuckle sympathetic at his words, shrugging her shoulders as she explains, "It just sounded like you were taking advantage of my request for help."

"Never," Robin smiles, pointing to the building behind her.

This is it. This is where she agreed to meet Jefferson. She is a bit surprised that she didn't even notice they were walking in the first place, too stunned by the conversation that she actually forgot for a moment about the interview.

Regina smiles, genuinely, feels a special appreciation for the man standing in front of her at this very moment.

"Thank you," she tells him before turning around, hesitating for a second before focusing her attention on Robin one more time, "When exactly were you planning to have this dinner?"

Robin's smile widens, like a child on Christmas morning, leans down to scoop Lady in his arms when the dog keeps tugging the leash in his hand, "I'm going to spend the afternoon with my son, but I can meet you at your hotel once I get Roland ready and tucked in his bed."

"So... tonight?" she asks with a teasing smirk on her face.

She gives him her phone number and hotel address, and steps into the interview with a confident smile on her face, thankful her evenings seem to have improved compared to the previous night.

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**I'm excited to hear your thoughts! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! I'm excited to continue this story so I hope I can give you new chapters more often :) Thank you for sticking with the story, I hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter 3.

**\- Friday -**

**January 4, 2019**

"Wait... you have a date? And you will be photographed by Jefferson Hatter himself?" Emma asks from Regina's phone screen, watching as the brunette finishes her makeup, carefully applying a layer of red to her lips, "I would say that London is treating you quite nicely."

"Jefferson wants to be sure there's a good dynamic between us when we shoot and... I don't have a _date_, not really," Regina explains with a roll of her eyes, though her clothes and appearance suggest something quite different. She'd opted for a brown silk blouse and black leather shorts, and black tights that she hopes will keep her warm against London cold nights.

She looks good, she can even admit that, she was careful when choosing the clothes for tonight, but not really because she is convinced this is a date. Date or not, she always thinks important to look good whenever she agrees to meet someone, and today wouldn't be any different. Of course, it doesn't hurt if Robin is a good looking man, with those blue eyes and charming dimples, and a bit of stubble that gives him that mature look.

Right... as if someone like him would be interested in a crazy, American woman, who went through his stuff and followed him into a bar, claiming they had switched their bags earlier at the airport.

Regina chuckles as she thinks about the whole situation, only now realizing how absurd everything seems.

"I've never seen someone so happy about a 'non-date' dinner, you can't stop smiling."

She puts the lipstick inside her purse and forces her expression back to something more neutral, focusing her attention on her friend as she explains, "I was just thinking about how absurd this whole thing is, I mean... this only happened because he took my bag by mistake."

"People meet in the craziest situations, Regina," Emma offers with a teasing smirk, her brows arching curiously when she asks, "Is he cute?"

Regina scoffs, can't help it. Of course, Emma would be worried about something like that. And of course, she won't admit that yes, he is gorgeous, way out of her league, to be completely honest.

"It doesn't matter," she mutters, fixing an invisible wrinkle on her shirt, "He's just trying to be nice because of what happened yesterd-"

"C'mon, Regina, do you really believe that? Would you do the same if it was the other way around?" Emma asks, to which Regina sighs tiredly.

"Maybe I would," she stubbornly answers, feeling a smirk pull at her lips when Emma rolls her eyes in annoyance. She can also be stubborn. And, to be honest, where's the point in starting a relationship with someone who lives miles away from him? She's sure that is not what Robin is looking for, and she's not interested in something like that either, "Besides, the last thing I need in my life is a long-distance relationship-"

"Who said something about a relationship?" Emma steps in, promptly silencing Regina. So that's what this is about, using Robin to have some fun. She would never make him waste his time like that, would never give him any hope if she didn't mean to take things seriously.

"I did," Regina decides, thinking about Graham and their situation, and deciding that she doesn't need a second round at that, "I don't want a 'friends with benefits' arrangement, I just want the 'friends' part. It would be nice to have someone to talk and spend time with while I'm here."

"And does this guy think the same?" Emma questions, "I mean, I just don't want you to get hurt."

Regina shakes her head and offers a genuine smile, thankful she has such good friends in her life. Emma is a bit too much sometimes, but she knows she cares about her as if they were blood sisters. She and Mal had been her best friends for years, and none of them would think twice if they needed to fly to London and confront Robin themselves.

"It's fine, really," the brunette assures, thinking about a way to drop the subject, "Can I talk to my godson now? Trusting he's not overhearing the entire conversation."

He's not, Emma tells her, so she quickly calls the boy, who is ecstatic to join the video call with Regina, a smile steady on the brunette's lips as Henry fills her with stories of what's left of his holidays.

**...**

Robin is waiting in the lobby when she steps out of the elevator half an hour later, with a small bouquet of flowers in his hands, and a smile on his lips when his eyes find the brunette across the room.

He looks gorgeous in a beige button-down shirt, a dark green jumper over it, and dark denim jeans that hug his toned legs quite nicely.

Emma's voice is suddenly in her head, telling her that 'she told her so', that Robin is all dressed and ready to take her out on an actual date after all, and maybe Regina always knew deep down that was true, but it's not like she can back down now, is it?

"For the trouble with your phone and the suitcases," Robin gives her the bouquet, his fingers so cold when her hand touches his with the movement, "You look lovely."

Regina brings the flowers to her nose in a failed attempt to hide the blush on her cheeks, wondering when was the last time she allowed herself to be treated this way. Graham never took her out on a date regardless of their mutual arrangement, and she never felt really ready after ending her relationship with Daniel, so she can't say she doesn't feel things she clearly shouldn't after only meeting Robin the day before.

"Thank you, they are beautiful," she smiles down at the bouquet in her hands, at the perfect combination of roses and lilies, "I will ask at the reception if they can keep it while we are out... where are we going?"

Robin chuckles at her question, tells her, "The Camden Market is beautiful with all the Christmas decorations, I thought you would like to have a look before the holiday season is officially over?"

She would, Regina tells him, she loves Christmas, so she can't think of a better way to spend their evening.

She leaves the flowers at the front desk before following Robin into the subway - the ride to Camden Town is pretty quick, and everything looks prettier than she first anticipated. There's a huge Christmas tree, standing tall at the entrance of the market, glistening under the fairy lights, as a row of market stalls extends down the large street. Regina can't fight the smile at the sight of such a beautiful picture, though her body shivers uncomfortably when the cold air hits her tights-covered legs.

"Are you cold?" he asks when she wraps herself tightly in her black long coat, his eyes eying one of the stalls only a few meters from them, "How about a hot chocolate to warm us up?"

"That sounds heavenly," she admits with a chuckle, walking with Robin to wait in the line.

There are two other customers in front of them, the first one is a family with two kids, still debating their order as the boy behind the counter tries to help with different suggestions. Regina melts at the sight of the excited children, turning to face Robin, knowing it will probably take a while before they will make their decision.

"So... I'm curious about something," the brunette starts, hoping the conversation will help to pass the time, "Is singing only a hobby, or is it-"

"My job," Robin tells her with a smile, clearly used to be asked that question, "I know it sounds crazy, but I make enough money to give a comfortable life to Roland, and it's great to have the opportunity to do what I love," Regina nods in agreement, though she has no time to answer before he asks, "And you? I don't think you already told me what you do?"

"I am a model," she answers simply, shrugs. Robin freezes for a moment - is almost comic - his eyes can't help but study Regina from head to toe, his lips parted in genuine surprise.

"Now I know you are messing with me."

Regina chuckles, because it happens, that she's not, "Is it so hard to believe?"

"No! Of course not, _geez_," Robin laughs, shaking his head, "You're beautiful, I didn't mean that, it's just... a surprise."

She's used to getting this reaction whenever she shares what she actually does for a living - most people don't believe it until she actually shows a picture of one of her shootings - and with men in particular... well, with Graham, she's sure that the information actually helped him to make the decision of starting the kind of relationship they have until today. It's not a surprise that he gives importance to the appearances, but it hadn't really bothered Regina until she had started thinking about it these last few days.

"It started as a hobby," she explains, easily, "But as you said, I make enough money to have a comfortable life, and I do what really makes me happy."

"So that's what brought you to London, then?" he asks, and Regina nods, though Robin's curiosity clearly makes him try to be more specific, "A shooting?"

"We will see. I'm hoping I'll get to work with Jefferson Hatter."

Robin's eyes widen in response to Jefferson's name, and Regina can't fight the proud grin that pulls at her lips, pleased at herself for managing such accomplish in her still-short career, "Not that I know much about that world, I don't, at all, but Ruby and Lacey are quite invested in it, and I think I heard them talking about Jefferson more than a few times already."

"He's one of the best. It's a dream to be able to work with a professional like him," Regina nods her head in agreement, focusing her attention on ordering their hot chocolates when it's finally their turn. She chooses to put cinnamon over her own hot drink, something Henry would be proud of, considering she always makes fun whenever he or Emma would do it back in New York - and judging by Robin's face when the boy places the cup on the counter in front of them, she can say she's not the only one to like her hot chocolate as it should be: classic and simple.

"Is that how you drink hot cocoa back in America?" Robin asks, earning a laugh from Regina. She likes it when he tries to tease her, likes how carefree he is, how he is not afraid to voice his thoughts, even if there's a risk of being misunderstood. She's tired of how men can be so boring sometimes, as if they don't have their own opinion and have to agree with everything a woman says only to appease her.

"It's how my godson does it, actually," Regina tells him with a smile on her lips, stretching the drink towards him to offer, "Would you like to try it?"

Robin places his hands over Regina's cold ones and brings the cup to his lips, all the while his eyes stare intently at hers, as he finally takes a sip of the sweet and hot beverage.

"Hmm, it's strangely good," he admits, earning another laugh from the brunette. She still prefers the classic version of it, but this one is not so bad, either, "I've never thought about it."

"Children have good ideas sometimes," she tells him as they wait for Robin's drink.

"You two seem to be close," he observes, curiously, "You and your godson?"

"Like mother and son," Regina nods her head. She feels her eyes watering with how much she is going to miss the boy during this time away in Europe, but she's quick to push back the feeling when she senses Robin's hand landing on her bicep, a silent sign of understanding because he too knows how hard it is to be away from the people they love, he too has been away from his boy for whole seven days, last week.

Regina is not sure how she is going to make it through a whole month without picking Henry from school, or without their evenings watching a movie when Emma asks her to watch for the boy.

She's brought back to the present when Robin moves to reach for his wallet, intended to pay for both drinks, and it's enough to send them in a friendly argument about who should pay for what, the thoughts of Henry and New York pushed back to the back of her mind, at least, for the moment.

**...**

They end up stopping on another stall to buy something to eat (Regina insists she should pay for it this time), before they continue down the crowded street and in the direction of the famous ice rink.

Regina tells him that she always loved skating, it's something she uses to do, especially during this time of the year, while Robin admits that he has the worst balance ever, that he probably will make a fool of himself as soon as he steps foot on the ice. Roland's mother had tried to teach him one time (with no avail, of course), the result was a broken wrist and a trip to the E.R, which he very much hopes it won't happen a second time tonight.

Regina laughs at the image in her head, assures him that she won't let that happen if he agrees to have her as his teacher this time, instead, and so that's how they find themselves sitting on the bench and putting on their skates, Regina's lips tilting up in a smirk when she notices Robin looking uncertainly at the rink.

"You know we don't really have to do this if you-"

"No! No, I can do it," he assures when they have the skates on and ready to go, his hand reaching for Regina's stretched one as she offers him help to stand from their seat.

"You are going to be fine," she encourages, stepping on the ice, "You just need a bit of practice."

She'd been afraid he would lose his balance as soon as they entered the slippery rink - Robin wobbles a little when his skates meet the ice, but manages to keep his balance for the whole fifteen minutes she spends pulling him around, though she is happy to see he stays on his feet when her hand slowly slips from his steady hold.

Robin seems surprised as well, and it even gives him a bit more confidence to speed up his pace a bit as he chases Regina around the rink, their laughter echoing through the night, between the excited children and the voice from their parents.

"I told you, you just needed a good teacher."

"Indeed," he smirks, perking up at her flirting, "Go on and show off a bit, no need to keep it slow because of me."

"Are you sure?"

Robin nods his head, and Regina speeds up her pace, graciously skating between the group of people, turning and spinning, eventually winking at Robin when she notices he's staring.

He's _always_ staring. His eyes are glued to her the whole time she dances around, almost mesmerized at the movements she's able to make around the ice. She feels a bit shy under his shameless staring, but she pushes back the thought and relishes in her few minutes of fame, only stopping abruptly when she sees Robin stumbling on his feet, fighting to keep his balance before one of his skates slip through the ice and he falls on his ass on the cold floor.

"Fuck," he winces, rubbing his back, "I told you I was a lost cause."

"Are you alright?" Regina asks, failing miserably at fighting the laugh at the back of her throat. She feels a bit better when Robin starts laughing himself, his hands reaching for hers, letting her pulling him back to his feet and leading him out of the ice rink, "Maybe this was really a bad idea."

"It was fun," he assures, squeezing the hand he's still holding to. She bites her lip as he stares quietly at her - they can't help but share soft giggles the whole time they change out of the skates, or when Robin leads her back to the subway - her heart feeling things her mind can't quite explain when she looks back at him.

**...**

It's twenty minutes later when they arrive at Regina's hotel, with their faces red from the cold, but matching wide smiles on their lips.

Robin's unexpected fall did nothing to ruin their good spirits - if only, it actually gave it a funny twist to their already pleasant evening - not to mention it has been years since Regina let her guard down around a man, even more surprising, only having met Robin twenty-four hours ago.

It's something that both makes her proud, but a bit concerned at the same time, makes her wonder why Robin seems to be so different from other people, or how did he manage to break down her walls when they apparently had started off on the wrong foot.

Is she letting herself get carried away by her loneliness over again? Is she walking into another relationship like the one she had with Graham? No feelings, no love, no attachment, just a way to help each other when the need to be with someone was too much.

"I hope you had fun tonight?" Robin interrupts her thoughts when they stop in front of the hotel double doors, taking a step closer to Regina, but keeping his hands safely tucked inside his brown jacket pockets, "I was afraid I had lost some qualities when it comes to this dating thing-"

"Oh, so this was a date?" the brunette teases, a smirk on her lips.

Robin's cheek turn red with a blush, this time, embarrassingly stuttering, "No! I mean, I'm sorry, I thought..." and Regina can't help but laugh, already used to this awkward side of Robin.

He is definitely different from Graham, Regina muses, and she finds that she pretty much likes to tease him. He is funny, and it's quite charming, to be honest - adding to his good looks, Regina starts to understand what draws her to him so effortlessly easy, and she doesn't think it's merely physical attraction, after all.

"I wasn't sure what to call it, either," she tells him quietly, taking another step in his direction.

Robin takes a leap of faith as his hands leave his pockets to reach for her own, his thumb drawing lazy patterns on the back of her palm, capturing Regina's attention as her eyes drop to their joined fingers.

"There's only one thing to do then," he clears his throat, making Regina swallow in anticipation, "Regina Mills, would you accept to go out on an official date with me?"

Regina laughs, can't help it. Of all the things she thought Robin would say, or even do, that was not even on the list, though she can't say it's not an interesting, and creative, twist, no doubt.

"Yes," she bites her lip, because why not? Maybe she is not sure a long-distance relationship can work for her, maybe it doesn't, but a 'normal' commitment didn't work for her in the past either, so what's the harm in trying to go with the flow this time? What really can happen if she finally takes a risk? "This was definitely better than the last time you tried to ask me."

"You accepted," he reminds her, making her roll her eyes in amusement, "I usually play at the bar Saturday nights, we get a full house, so maybe I can take you out for dinner on Sunday, if you're free?"

"I'm free," she smiles, feeling giddy all of a sudden.

She's taking the next step of her career in a foreign country, and she's going to have a date with a handsome, and caring man, what more could she ask for?

"I look forward to it," he admits, bringing her hands to his lips to press a kiss to her palm.

Regina smiles at the gesture, not sure what goes through her mind when she smoothes her hand against his stubble, leaning slightly into him to press her lips against his cheek, then to his ear, "Goodnight, Robin."

"Goodnight, Regina," he replies, watching as she disappears behind the double doors.

**...**

She steps into the bedroom with the flowers and a smile on her lips, places the vase with the bouquet on the nightstand, before she changes into something more comfortable.

She's tired but happy. She can't even remember the last time she had so much fun with someone.

She never thought she would have a friend so soon during this trip, someone to talk to, to spend time with. If their date comes back as nothing, at least she knows they can remain good friends, though that's not Robin's intention when he asked her out on a _date_, that's for sure.

Regina smiles foolishly at the thought, her fingers running through the petals of the flowers when her phone comes to life inside her purse.

It's definitely not a surprise when she sees Graham's name flashing on the screen (she promised to call him earlier in the day, after all), but she just hopes he's not expecting one of _those_ calls, otherwise she will have to tell him she doesn't feel comfortable to do it.

It feels wrong, to say the least.

As much as she felt physically attracted to Graham before, she decided to move on with her life the moment she set foot on that plane to London, and she honestly thought Graham would do the same. He is a good-looking man, there's no doubt about that, so it should be a matter of time before he finds someone else to keep him company, if he hadn't found it already, that is.

Regina takes a deep breath and picks up the phone, tries to sound as casual as possible when she says, "Graham, hi."

"Hello, Regina," he greets from the other side of the line, his voice strangely deep and serious, even though he was never a cheerful person, to begin with, "I thought you said you would call today?"

"I did, but... I lost track of time, and it's late here-"

"Regina, what's wrong?" Graham interrupts, promptly silencing the brunette. He knows something is not right, and Regina knows this situation is not fair to either of them, not Graham, not Robin... she just accepted to have an actual date with him, she knows she needs to finally make a decision, "Why do I feel like you're avoiding me?"

"I'm not, not really..." she starts, her sigh impossible to contain. She is almost sure Graham hears it, though he chooses not to comment on it (thankfully), "I just don't feel like this is helping. This... relationship. There's no point in keeping doing this when we can't even be with each other, I thought it would be obvious to both of us," she admits. And then, another thought crosses her mind, something she had never really thought about it, but that she needs to know if she wants to settle things between them, "Unless... there are feelings you haven't told me about-"

"I care about you, Regina, I do," Graham is quick to interrupt, concern clear in his voice, making very clear his response to Regina's unlikely suspicious, "But you know I never wanted a relationship. I thought you didn't want it as well?"

They talked about it when they first started, that she wasn't ready to have a relationship, and that there shouldn't be any feelings involved. It makes everything easier now that she wants to call the whole thing off, but... why insisting on making their arrangement work, then? Why would Graham go to all the trouble?

"I didn't... I don't," she corrects, (or at least, she doesn't want a relationship with _him_), "But you kept texting me, so I thought-"

"That I was in love with you?" he asks, and well... this is embarrassing. It looks like she is the one having those feelings for him now, which is definitely not the case, not now, not never, not when they started talking about a 'friends with benefits' arrangement, "We didn't discuss anything about this, so I just assumed things would stay as they were... though that's not what you want," he tells her, not a question.

"I just think there's no point in keep doing this."

There's a silence on Graham's end when the words slip from Regina's mouth, a silence that it's not entirely awkward, but that it shows he's caught by surprise, probably not expecting Regina to really put an end to their arrangement.

It's strange after years of sleeping together, she can even admit it, but she never meant this situation to last for the rest of their lives, so it just seems a good time to settle things, once and for all.

"Alright... I understand," Graham tries to sound nonchalant, though there's a hint of disappointment in his low voice, "I'll see you when you get back, Regina."

"Yeah... Goodnight, Graham," she mutters, hanging up the phone. There's no point in discussing whether or not they will actually stay in touch once she returns to her old life - she doesn't know what will happen from now on, but at least she's thankful for less an obstacle on her future, and excited to see what life has in store for her in this new year.

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**Please, tell me if you like it :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back with a new chapter!**

**(****Regina's outfit for her date with Robin was inspired on what she was wearing when she had her first kiss with Robin on the show). Enjoy!**

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Chapter 4.

**\- Saturday -**

**January 5, 2019**

She doesn't see him in the park today. She runs for about forty-five minutes, a bit less than what she is used to, but she's tired from the night before, and it's cold, and she decided to take the day to herself, for a self-care and beauty routine.

Her date with Robin is tomorrow night, and she wants to look especially good for him. She hasn't been excited about a date since she fell in love with Daniel almost thirteen years ago - she was sixteen at the time, she knew nothing about love - not to mention she hadn't had a day to spoil herself in God knows how long. Yes, she has always a team of professionals doing her best so she can look extra pretty on her shoots, taking care of her hair and makeup, always making sure she's living in the dream of red carpets and Hollywood stars. But it's always a commotion during the whole process, and she never really has time to be alone with her thoughts.

So today, she will make the most of the free time she has.

She steps out of the bathtub and wraps the robe around her naked body, applies a layer of skin mask to her face, before reaching for the cell phone when it begins to ring on the bedside table.

She rolls her eyes in amusement at the sight of Emma's name on the screen, knowing exactly the reason why her best friend is calling when it's still early morning in New York City.

"Just so you know, I was right," Regina teases as soon as she picks up the call, sitting against the comfy pillows on the bed, with a knowing smirk on her face.

"Good morning to you too," the blonde says from the other side of the line, her voice still rough from the sleep, "And why is that?"

Regina smiles at Emma's question, putting her on speaker so she won't ruin the mask spread all over her face, "I know you're calling to know about my date with Robin, which I told you, was not a date-"

"Really, Regina? Are we really keeping arguing about this?"

Regina knows it's a bit childish, but she can't help but tease Emma, knowing it will annoy her just as she does when it comes to Regina's dating life. She has always something to say about it, an opinion to give, someone to introduce her to. She seems even more invested in it than Regina herself, so she can't stop herself from messing with the blonde for a bit.

"Call it what you want, but it does not change the fact that he wanted to spend time with you, which it seems was a success."

Regina melts at the thought of their evening together, wondering how did she get so lucky to have bumped with Robin of all the people. He is such a funny and easy person to be with, a breath of fresh air in Regina's current life. If she's ready to open up to love again, she doesn't know, but she can't deny that Robin is an interesting person, and only the future will tell if there's room for more than friendship in her life.

"He is going to take me out on an official date tomorrow night."

"I knew it!" Emma cries out, as if she had just made the greatest discovery of the century, "You sound so smitten already! What happened yesterday?"

"Nothing happened yesterday," Regina is quick to answer, because it's the truth. They did nothing more than walk through the market and go ice skating - she held his hands when she was helping him balance on the ice, but there were no kisses or sweet caresses, much less what Regina knows Emma is implying.

"Are you sure?" the blonde asks, sounding less than convinced, "Do you really expect me to believe that you accepted to go out with a man you met two days ago, without being the least interested?"

"That's the whole point of going out with him, right? People get to know each other before 'something happens'," she parrots Emma's words from before, her eyes catching the bouquet of flowers beside the bed.

It doesn't seem to convince Emma, though, and she's not one to give up so easily, "That's debatable-"

"No, it's not."

For a few seconds, there's silence on the other end of the line, and Regina smiles in victory. At least until Emma asks, "Not even a goodnight kiss?"

The brunette laughs, can't help it. Emma can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but she's also really funny, and her best friend, and maybe she deserves to know a bit more about their night, even if there's nothing juicy to tell her about.

"He was charming enough to bring me flowers," she smiles sheepishly, "And he fell on the ice when I tried to teach him ice skating."

Emma laughs at that last bit, sounds pleased enough when she tells her, "It seems you did have fun."

"We did," Regina admits, closing her eyes, "I haven't had so much fun in a long time."

"You deserve it."

She does. Or at least, that's what Regina tells herself. She gave up on love when things with Daniel didn't work out, she thinks that maybe it's time to give herself a second chance.

**\- Sunday -**

**January 6, 2019**

They agree to meet at the restaurant this time. Robin had sent her the address, and it's close enough from the subway that she insists he doesn't need to make the whole way back from his house only to pick her up. Besides, it gives Regina more time to finish getting ready.

She matches a cream-colored blouse with a black pencil skirt, then focuses her attention on straightening her hair, in an attempt to tame her stubborn curls - her father had always loved her natural waves, though that's something with which Regina always struggled. She is not ready to embrace it, and especially not on her first date with Robin.

She puts on her long black coat and places a cream scarf over her shoulders, steps out into the cold and into the subway, in the direction of the address Robin had sent her.

He is already waiting when she steps into the surprisingly quiet room, sitting at a table near one of the windows. He looks even more handsome today (if that is even possible), staring out at the busy street, and at the light rain it had begun to fall only a few minutes ago.

Regina smiles at the sight, taking off her coat before starting in Robin's direction.

"This is really nice," she says as she stops behind him, her eyes studying their surroundings. The restaurant is not too big, enough to have a few tables scattered around the room, and a long counter along the opposite wall. The lights are dimmed for a more comfortable atmosphere, and there are small lamps in the center of each table.

"I was afraid you would get caught in the rain," the blonde man admits, sounding almost relieved. He did look worried when she first saw him, staring out the window and frowning at the sight of the dark clouds gathered in the sky, but she didn't think he was worried about her getting caught in the weather, though she won't lie and say it doesn't feel good to have someone that actually cares about her, even in these simple things.

Regina's smile widens even more when he stands from his seat to press a kiss to her cheek, his voice rough and low when he whispers, "You look gorgeous."

"Thank you. You look very handsome as well," she purposely runs her eyes down his body, before he takes the seat across from her chair. She is beginning to feel more and more comfortable around Robin, and she figures that, if this is a date, what's the harm in flirting for a bit?

"You ordered red, my favorite," Regina reaches for the glass of wine already placed in front of her plate, bringing it to her lips to take a sip of the fruity beverage.

She closes her eyes and hums in approval, muttering a '_God, this is good,_' before she opens them again to find Robin watching her almost mesmerized, "What?"

"Nothing. I'm so sorry, I was just-" he stutters, awkwardly, "I was just thinking about how lucky I must be that you agreed to be here with me tonight."

Regina stops at his words - freezes, actually - not really expecting Robin to get so serious and deep all of a sudden. She will not lie and say she never wondered why Robin is single when he is such a good-looking man, and for what Regina can tell, a really great person, anyone would be lucky to date a man like him, he's looking at the situation in reverse.

"I should be the one telling you that, actually."

His smile widens as he lifts his glass in an invitation for a toast, prompting Regina to do the same and clink her glass with his.

"To this fantastic evening and even better company," he tells her without breaking the eye contact, taking a sip.

_God_, she doesn't think she noticed how attractive he really is before this very moment, where his blue eyes look so bright under the dim light, and the scent of his cologne reaches her nostrils. She really is the lucky one in this whole deal, there's no doubt about it, even if Robin seems to think otherwise.

"We should order the food, or the wine won't be such a good idea," Regina tells him with a chuckle, settling her glass down and reaching for the menu instead.

Robin orders the steak with a spicy black pepper sauce - and she learns that he likes spicy food, surprisingly - while Regina sets for the classic chow mein. She is a fan of cuisine in general, and she loves Chinese recipes, which prompts him to tell her that he booked a trip to China once, though they had to cancel it once they discovered Marian's pregnancy.

Marian, who she learns is Robin's ex-fiance.

He doesn't dig too much into that issue, and Regina doesn't ask either, afraid it will ruin the mood if their breakup, as it seems, was not an amicable one. They set for more friendly subjects instead, focusing on Robin's four-year-old son, and on their shared love for traveling the world.

"I'm trying to save some money so I can take Roland there," Robin tells her, excitedly, "That's why I like to work on the weekends. The bar is full, they pay me to sing, and I even earn a percentage on the drinks."

"That does seem a fair deal," Regina agrees, while her mind wanders to the night she saw him on the stage, looking so happy as he sang, his voice so beautiful, "When did you start?" Regina wonders, curiosity taking the best of her, "Singing, I mean."

"Since I remember," Robin answers, smiling, then takes a moment when the waitress arrives with their food. They dig into their meals while Robin tells her about his first performances in his school plays, and how he started the guitar lessons a few years later - he was a teenager back then, so he thought it would give him a few points with the girls, more than he thought about a future career. He's now glad he took those lessons, Robin admits - he does what he loves, makes money out of it, and it gives him more time with Roland than it would if he had chosen to work scooped up inside an office.

"And you're really good, your voice is beautiful," Regina offers, smiling when she notices a blush growing on his cheeks.

There's a silence between them as the words leave Regina's mouth, a moment they both take to just stare at each other, while Robin's hand moves over the table to reach for Regina's. His thumb moves back and forth over the back of her palm, her heart beating ten times faster inside her chest.

"Look, I..." he starts, without releasing the hold on her hand, reaching blindly inside his jacket pocket to pick up a white envelope and give it to her, "I brought you this-"

"Robin, you shouldn't-"

"Open it?" the man is quick to interrupt, finally letting go of her hand so she could see what is inside the small package, "If you don't like it, I can-"

"Are you serious?" Regina asks with a chuckle, her eyes studying the two tickets now in her hands, "Is this for today?"

"In about... an hour and half," Robin glances at the watch on his wrist, his smile widening at the pleased and surprised look on Regina's face, "I didn't know if you liked musicals, but... I guess it's also a way for you to get to know me a little bit better."

"I love musicals, theatre in general," she tells him, and well... it seems it's one more thing they have in common then, she really has no idea how she got so lucky, "Thank you, Robin."

"No need to," he dismisses, "Let's just eat so we can get out of here."

Regina chuckles and focuses her attention back on her food, eyeing one more time the two tickets for 'The Phantom of the Opera', and wondering when did her life has become so much better.

**...**

Regina sighs pleased as she sits in the theatre, pulling her phone out of her purse to send a quick text to Emma: _'He's perfect,'_ she types with a smile on her face, knowing her friend is probably dying to know how her date with Robin is going.

He had excused himself to go to the bathroom as soon as the show had gone for a little break, and Regina had said that she would stay behind to watch their things, taking advantage of the time alone to think about the situation.

Is she really considering dating Robin, when she knows she will have to leave for New York in less than a month? Where would that even take them? Is there even a future to look forward to?

Regina closes her eyes and leans against her seat, considering every possible situation. She could stay and pursue her career - it would honestly break her heart to move so far away from Henry and Emma, and of course, from her father, though she could always pay them regular visits. Or maybe Robin would like to try a new life in New York City (she knows, of course, that this is almost impossible, that he has a family of his own, a four-year-old boy who has a mother that most certainly would not allow him to move to the other side of the ocean). In the best-case scenario, they would be successful in a long-distance relationship, though it's most likely that they will only test the waters during this month to then continue with their separate lives.

"Tired?" she feels the light touch of his hand up and down her upper tight, and she opens her eyes to find Robin smirking at her, his dimples helping the thoughts in her head getting so much clearer.

Yes, she wants to give this a chance. And yes, the future can be uncertain, but if she won't take the risk, she will never know if it's really worth it or not.

"No, just waiting for you," Regina turns her head to look at the blonde, her fingers intertwining with his.

Robin smiles and brings her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of her palm before letting it fall back to her lap. He hasn't let go of her hand, Regina notices, and the brunette can't help but lean closer to him, her eyes focusing on his perfect lips.

_God_, she wants to kiss him. She wants to throw caution to the wind and live in the moment, a moment where Robin is looking at her almost as intensely, his teeth peeking out to bite on his lower lip.

_Right_... Regina takes a deep breath, centering herself. She might give life to her thoughts.

Robin moves closer before she could realize what he is doing - his free hand moves to cup her face, his nose nuzzling softly against her own.

It's when his lips brush gently against hers, that all the lights in the room are turned off to start the second part of the show. She feels Robin pull back with a displeased grunt, and Regina can't help but chuckle amused at his antics, giving his hand a light squeeze and promising, "We can finish this later."

She settles back against her seat with a smirk on her face, not really sure when did she get so bold, but loving the effect it has on Robin. He looks distracted for the rest of the play, his eyes darting to Regina from time to time, though she pretends not to notice, even when the only thought in her mind is to live up to her words.

**...**

Regina can honestly say this was one of the best dates she has been so far.

The restaurant Robin had chosen had exceeded her expectations, the food was amazing, as well as the company, and she can't think of a better ending to their night than watching 'The Phantom of the Opera'.

Everything was perfect, not to mention she can't get out of her head the moment Robin almost kissed her.

_God_... she still can feel his breath against her cheek, his lips brushing softly against her own...

What is happening to her? Why does she feel so connected to Robin already?

She thought that maybe she just felt lonely, that maybe it's because she is alone in a foreign country and Robin was nice enough to ask her out a couple of times, but... the problem is, she doesn't know how to stop.

She wants to keep seeing him and test where this is going, wants to kiss him without being interrupted, wants to get to know Robin without the thought of '_I'm leaving the country in less than a month_' going around in circles in her head. If she doesn't follow her instincts and at least gives this a chance, she knows she won't be able to get the man out of her mind.

"So..." Robin starts, looking at their surroundings, "Here we are again."

Regina smiles and nods her head, knowing that this is almost a déjà vu of Friday night, when Robin walked her back to the hotel and they found themselves in a similar situation. They were also standing in front of the hotel double doors, readying themselves to say goodbye, though this time she can feel a different tension growing between them.

It's like they both know what they want to do, but neither of them actually moves to take the lead.

That's it until Regina takes a small step in Robin's direction, her hands moving to grab the lapels of his jacket and crush his lips against her own.

Robin is surprised at first, but is quick to recover and kiss her back. He kisses her slowly and gently, but barely has time to react properly before Regina is pulling back once again, an apologetic look on the brunette's face, "I'm so sorry, I-"

"You don't have to be sorry about a bloody thing right now," he whispers against her lips, closing the distance between them one more time.

Regina moans in surprise as their lips meet hungrily and passionately, not a hint of hesitation this time, compared to the kiss they shared only a few seconds before. He wraps his arms comfortably around her body, hers moving to circle around his neck, while her fingers play with the small hairs at the back of his head - she feels Robin shiver at the touch of her cold hand against warm skin, feels him pressing closer to her, his hand moving up and down the expanse of her back.

"Robin," she sighs, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. She opens her mouth to him when his tongue brushes against her bottom lip, lets the taste of the popcorn they eat earlier in the theatre invade her senses.

She's doomed, she thinks. _So_ doomed, because, now that she had a taste of him, she doesn't want to let go.

She doesn't try to stop him when his hands move to grasp at her hips, doesn't try to pull back when he keeps pulling her closer, backing her a few steps so they aren't standing right in the middle of the sidewalk, kissing for everyone to see. Regina is grateful for that, truthfully, she was never one for public displays of affection, though this time it doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest, judging by the way she keeps clinging to him, moaning at the way he sucks fuller on her lower lip, before pulling back completely.

"_Christ_," Robin pants, trying to regain his breath, "I wasn't expecting that."

"I promised you we could finish this later," she tells him with a shrug of her shoulders, smiling when his fingers intertwine in her dark hair, and he pulls her closer to press a kiss to her forehead, "Thank you. For everything tonight."

"It was my pleasure," he dismisses, mirroring her gesture of shrugging her shoulders, "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Regina laughs and nods her head, presses a gentle kiss to his lips again, softer but lingering.

When she pulls back a second time, she presses her forehead to his, her voice sweet and kind as she tells him, "I have a shoot tomorrow morning, I really need to get some sleep-"

"Oh, of course," Robin pulls back immediately, making Regina chuckle at his antics, "I can call you tomorrow?"

She nods her head and makes her way back to the hotel, glances at him one last time to watch him slip into a cab - he only has time to give her a little wave before the car disappears down the street - and then, here she is, alone, with her thoughts.

She has a lot to consider, Regina thinks, walking into the building. Maybe she will talk to Robin about it.

For now, she considers herself lucky to have found a bit of company in the blue-eyed man, hopes that time will help her see things clearer.

* * *

**Hope you liked it, tell me what you thought! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi, guys, here is the chapter! I'm so sorry for taking so long, I hope you like it and thank you for sticking with the story.**

**You're about to meet a new character ;)**

* * *

Chapter 5.

**\- Monday -**

**January 7, 2019**

She has a text from Robin on Monday morning, a thoughtful _'Good luck on your shoot today,'_ that puts a silly smile on the brunette's face. Regina can't help but feel excited at the simple attention, answering with a _'Thank you, that helped a lot,' _that she hopes will be enough to let him know how much she appreciated the gesture. She has to admit that she is a bit nervous about her photoshoot with Jefferson, so Robin's company, even if through simple texts, is working wonders to keep her distracted.

_'You'll be fantastic, I'm sure. But if it helps, I would love you to have you for lunch and, hopefully, help you to relax?'_

Regina blushes at his words, can't stop her mind from wandering to much more sinful thoughts, even though she knows he didn't mean it that way. It's too soon to even be thinking about something like _that_, and she won't ruin what they have over a stupid desire, though she can tease and flirt with him for a bit.

She bites her lip and thinks about an answer to give him, but is interrupted when the doors of the elevator open, presenting a petite blonde with a messy bun on top of her head.

"Regina Mills?" the woman asks, a displeased frown on her face, "You're five minutes late. Follow me."

Regina frowns and glances at her phone, confirming that, no, she's five minutes earlier, actually, just like she had planned to be when she was told the shoot was scheduled for nine a.m.

She makes a mental note of being extra earlier the next time they call her for a shoot (if there's even a next time, that is), and follows the woman without saying another word, taking in her surroundings and looking around at the spacious corridors.

The building is pretty empty at this time in the morning. The walls are all white, cold, and empty, except for one bigger wall next to what she knows is Jefferson's office, where she can see several of his photos hanging on beautiful frames. He truly is an excellent photographer, she thinks, though she doesn't really have time to admire all the photos before the woman stops in front of one of the other doors, clutching a notebook against her chest as she turns to face the brunette.

"I'm Catherine Bell, Jefferson's assistant, but I will be yours for the time you will be staying with us, understood?" Regina swallows and nods her head, a bit taken aback by the woman's coldness, who, at least, could be trying to make her feel better instead of making her even more nervous, "Do you have any questions?" she asks, raising her brow.

"No-"

"Good, let me show you to the wardrobe."

She follows the blonde into a smaller, but crowded, room, where four other women are waiting for her, ready to dress her and help her get ready, Regina imagines. They straighten as soon as they see Catherine walking in, barking orders of '_Regina Mills, blue skirt, with the cream top and the black_ _heels,_' and Regina can't help but feel sorry for them, wondering if it was her apparent delay that left the woman in such foul mood.

"Call me when you're ready," she says to Regina before walking out of the room, leaving the brunette and the other women completely in silence.

Well, this is awkward, should she apologize or-

"Tink can be scary when she is in full work mode, but she's the sweetest lass, I assure you," one of the women steps behind Regina, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder to give it a comforting squeeze.

"Somehow, I doubt that," Regina chuckles, fishing her phone out of her purse to see another text from Robin appearing on the screen - _'I'm so sorry, it sounded awful. I was just offering you lunch, I promise.'_

His words make her feel ten times better in the middle of the mess. She finds herself chuckling at his message, the knots in her stomach disappearing at the thought of spending the afternoon with him.

Alright, she can do this. She's no newbie. She has years of experience that lead her to this moment.

She answers him, _'I look forward to that lunch ;)' _and,_ 'Send me the address,' _and then turns to face the women, who are already preparing all her clothes, puts a confident smile on her face and tells them, "Let's do this."

**...**

The shoot is a success, and Regina leaves the studio with a smile on her face, and a lot more relaxed now as she makes her way to Robin's apartment.

His place is rather close to her own hotel, she realizes, only three blocks away from the park where she usually goes for a run in the morning, and where she found Robin doing the same only a few days ago - she loves that they have that in common and thinks about asking him for company one of these days, though she's not sure she'll behave once she sees him all sweaty and athletic, running through the grass, with the sun lighting up his skin... it's a fantasy she hopes will turn into reality further into their relationship, though, for now, she's just happy that he cares enough about her to ask her for lunch in his own place, only to make her feel better after a stressful morning of photoshoots.

"Hello, beautiful," he greets as he opens the door to his apartment, and even though he's not sweaty and in a sporty gear, Regina can't help but find him handsome in his simple white t-shirt and grey sweatpants, that sit just below his hips, much to the brunette's appreciation, "Welcome to my humble flat."

"It smells great-" she is interrupted by Lady, who leaves her bed in a corner to greet Regina by the door, barking incessantly and brushing her paws against her legs, clearly asking for attention from their new guest, "Hello to you too," she bends down to run her hand through the puppy's brown fur, letting Robin close the door behind her, as she looks around to study their surroundings.

His apartment is not too big - it has two bedrooms, Robin shows her, one for him and one for Roland, both filled with toys as she's sure the boy spends more time in his father's bedroom than in his own (both their pajamas are neatly folded over the large mattress, which tells her that he must sleep with Robin too, the perks of being a single father, she imagines). Regina smiles at the thought and follows Robin back into the kitchen and living area, moaning at the smell that comes from the oven when he opens the door to look inside.

"What are you cooking?" she asks curiously, placing her hands on his hips for balance as she peers over the blonde's shoulder.

Robin chuckles and closes the door, turning around to wrap his arms around her waist and place a chaste kiss to her lips. "Sunday roast," he tells her, but it only makes her frown, her brows rising in genuine question, "It's a British recipe. Which means roasted meat, mashed potatoes, and lots, lots of gravy."

"Hmm, sounds good," she smiles, running her hands up his torso, "Anything you want me to do?"

Robin shakes his head, assures, "No, everything is taken care of, we can just-" his mouth finds her jaw to press a kiss there, then to her cheek, and finally to her lips, "We will have to wait until it's ready."

Regina smiles and closes the gap between them one more time - his back is against the counter, and she's pressed against him, his hands securely on her hips. It's not the most comfortable position, but they make it work, enough to have her moaning when his tongue brushes against her lips, asking for entrance. Regina grants it gladly, tongues moving against each other as her arms shift to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.

Robin groans pleased at that, grips even tighter at her waist and rocks his hips against her own - Regina hasn't felt this giddy since the first time she had been physical with Daniel, the butterflies in her stomach, the warm sensation in her chest... She is attracted to Robin, there's no doubt about that, she just didn't think he would make her feel things she thought it would be impossible to feel ever again in her life. She will not sleep with him, she's sure of that, but she can't help but gasp when she feels his hands cupping her ass, his mouth moving south to give attention to her exposed throat.

"Wait, I-" she pants, pulling back, "Don't you think we're moving too fast?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he tells her, immediately raising his hands to avoid touching any part of her body, "I didn't want to-"

"No, I know, it's not that, listen to me," she cups his face in both her hands, urging him to look at her and pay attention to her words, "I'm not talking about _this,_" she chuckles, looking down between them, at the non-existent space between their bodies and the bulge forming in Robin's pants, "I'm not afraid of sex, Robin, I'm afraid of... feelings."

His brows raise, clearly surprised at her confession (if it's even a confession at all), but a smile begins to form on Robin's lips, one so tender and sweet, as he grasps her hands on his own and presses a kiss to each one of them.

"I care about you," he tells her, and she's sure her heart skips a beat inside her chest, especially when he leans over to kiss her once again. She's reluctant at first, but it's not strong enough to push him back. They kiss slowly and gently, not at all as the kisses they shared only a few minutes prior, before Regina pulls back once again, her brow pressed against his while they regain their breath.

"It's just... we met five days ago, Robin-"

"Aren't you overthinking?" he asks, giving her hand a little squeeze, "I'm not asking you to marry me."

Regina actually chuckles at that, releasing her hands from his hold and taking the liberty to pour a glass of wine for each one of them. He's watching her every move, she notices, an amused smile on his face as he watches her so at ease in his space. That's what she meant and what worries her the most, Regina thinks, that she feels so comfortable with him, and that he was able to break down her walls so easily and fast.

"I will have to leave in a month," she points out, and Robin just shrugs, as if it the fact that they live across the ocean from each other wasn't such a big deal, "I don't want to make things difficult-"

"I just think we should enjoy the time you'll be here."

Regina stops and stares at him, trying to look for a sign that he's messing with her, though his expression is pretty much neutral.

Is he asking for a relationship with no strings attached? A relationship like she had with Graham, purely physical? She's not sure she wants another take at that, no matter how attractive and gorgeous Robin is.

"I... I'm not sure I understand-"

"Look, let me tell you something," Robin interrupts, grabbing his glass of wine and leading her towards the couch.

Regina follows without a word, occupying the seat beside him as she tries not to be too disappointed before she hears what he has to say. What did she expect? She met the man five days ago, did she really think he was falling in love with her, or that this could be more than simply 'having someone to pass the time'?

She was ready for Robin to settle things between them, but she is more than surprised when he starts telling her about Marian, his first and only relationship when he went to college, which surprisingly lasted when he decided to quit law school to pursue a musical career. She got pregnant a few years later, and that's when things started to get messy - Marian was worried Robin didn't make much money playing on bars, and apparently her job was not permanent either, which prompted her to blame Robin for not finishing law school, telling him it was his fault they wouldn't have money to raise a baby at the time. Regina has no idea why he is telling her all this, but she chooses not to comment, letting him unload and see where he is trying to go with the story.

There was this one day, he tells her, when Robin got home to find a flyer about abortion laying on the table right at the entrance, and Marian nowhere to be found. He thought the worst at the time, but he was able to find Marian scooped up inside her office, crying incessantly as she told him she simply couldn't do it. The moment they decided to keep Roland had brought them closer again, but somehow, Robin knew this wasn't the Marian he had fallen in love with early in his twenty's. She was different... angrier.

It still bothers him, Regina notices - it's noticeable in the way he clenches his jaw, his grip around the glass of wine tightening just slightly. He still resents her for everything that happened, and it makes Regina mad too, wondering how Marian was able to blame Robin for everything, letting him believe it was his fault if she did chose to put an end to her pregnancy. Robin loves his son, she can tell. She knows he would do everything to give his son a good life, to make sure Roland has everything he needs.

"It became too much for her when Roland was born. He was a crying baby," he smiles, though it doesn't reach his eyes, "He didn't let us sleep, we were exhausted, cranky, we fought over the money problems, everything and nothing," Robin explains, finally telling her, "She took a few days off to visit her family in the States, so I agreed to stay with Roland so she could have time to herself, believing it could be good for all of us," Regina can't understand how she even felt comfortable leaving a month-old baby and fly to the other side of the ocean, but she chooses to keep those thoughts to herself, knowing it's not her place to question the woman's reasons, "Two weeks later she called to say she was giving me Roland's full custody, and that she didn't know when she would be back."

"When... How-"

"It took her three months to admit what I knew already, she didn't want to come back. She told me she never wanted to be a mother, she just couldn't do it."

Regina is a bit surprised at the information, wasn't really expecting to hear that Marian chose to abandon them all of a sudden. She feels angry for Robin, and for Roland, at a woman she doesn't even know. How does someone abandon a child like that? How can she sleep knowing she has a little boy growing on the other side of the world?

"And she never came back?"

"She did, once. I told her she still had time to fix everything, I just wanted my son to have a mother," Robin downs what's left of his wine in one gulp, and Regina can't help but cover his free hand with her own, intertwining their fingers together and giving it a comforting squeeze, "_Christ_, she..." he sighs, calming down, "She still makes me mad."

"It's okay," she soothes, taking a deep breath, because she thinks it will help if she shares her own story, even if there's not too much to share, anyway, "My mother left us to marry a rich guy."

Robin stops at that, turns to look at her, his anger is now replaced for curiosity, though he doesn't ask, but she knows he is wondering what happened by the look on the blonde's face.

"She was... difficult. Leaving us was the best that could happen, actually-"

"Regina-"

"No, it's the truth," the brunette assures, taking a sip of her own wine. Contrary to Roland, that was still a baby, she remembers her mother being less than friendly to her - always criticizing, always trying to control her life - she doesn't know what's worse, honestly: if she hadn't met her mother at all, or leaving under constant criticism and being harassed by her own family.

She startles a little when she feels the couch dip a bit beside her, turns her head to see Lady lying against her legs, her small head resting over Regina's knees. She freezes a bit at the dog's closeness, but she can't help but smile, placing the glass over the coffee table to run her hand over the pup's soft fur.

"They say dogs sense people's moods, though I'm a bit wounded she chose to comfort you over me," Robin teases, leaning against the couch. Regina mirrors his movement with a chuckle, laying her head against the back, and stopping to stare at him for a moment. She didn't think she would be able to feel this close to someone ever again, not romantically or whatever they have. She still doesn't know why he chose to tell her his story with Marian, or where he wants to go with this, but she feels flattered that he seems to trust so much in her, and she wants him to know that she does feel comfortable around Robin too.

"Anyway, it was hard, yes, but I'm sure it was for the best," Regina shrugs, and Robin sighs, tells her he's sorry, that he didn't know she had gone through the same his son has, apparently, "It's fine, I just meant that, I still think I had a good life with my father. He was enough, and I never resented him," she assures, making clear her point when she tells him, "Roland will not blame you, and I don't think he will be less happy because he's growing up without a mother. You seem to be doing a good job, Robin."

He is, she's sure of it. Maybe she doesn't know Robin all that well, and she doesn't know Roland, for that matter, but she can tell his son is his priority, only by the way he gets upset when talking about his mother, or how worried he gets to think about he might not be enough for the four-year-old boy.

"Thank you, it got easier with time," Robin smiles, or at least, he tries to. He is past the difficult stage - she is glad for it - he has a comfortable home, a steady job, and from what she can see in the pictures, hanging around the walls, Roland seems to be a truly happy child, always with a dimpled smile on his face that reminisces so much of his father, "It was difficult to support both of us with the money I made at the time, and I didn't have anyone to look after Roland during the day so I could get a full-time job... but things started to improve when I met Belle a few months later. She offered to take care of Roland, and introduced me to her sister, Lacey, who got me a permanent job at 'The Rabbit Hole'."

"That's amazing," Regina tells him, genuinely happy. Her hand moves to stop on his thigh, his falling on top of hers, grasping gently.

"I don't know what I would've done without them," Robin admits in a whisper, closing his eyes for a moment, probably still hurt about that time of his life. She can't imagine what is like living without knowing if she will have food to give to her son the next day, or if she will have a house to return to, all because of a woman who chose to abandon them when they needed the most to be a family.

Still, there's one thing Regina still wants to ask about this whole story, which is, "Why are you telling me all this?"

"I got a bit carried away, didn't I?" Robin asks with a smirk, though it makes Regina feel a bit guilty about her question, because it's not like she doesn't want to listen to his story, she's just curious about where he wants to get with all this. They started this conversation talking about them, about whether or not a relationship between them is worth it, and they ended up talking about Marian and how she disappeared, and how Robin struggled to give a good life to his four-year-old son.

"It's just... talking about the past, it makes me realize that..." he trails off, pressing his lips together, collecting his thoughts, "I don't want this to sound selfish, or that I don't love my son," he admits, "I have been living for Roland in the past four years, you know, I just feel like... I haven't had time to focus on myself..." he looks at her, uncertain, "Is this awful?"

"No. No, Robin, it's not," Regina assures, firmly, "Roland is your priority, you want to give him a good life, there's no doubt about that, but I can imagine how engrossing that can be, that we easily forget to take care of ourselves."

She gets it. She is not judging him, how could she? He is doing the best he can, she is so amazed by how far he seems to have come.

"I don't regret it," Robin tells her, as if he has something to prove, "I would do everything again to make sure Roland is happy and taken care of. But we are good now, we have a comfortable life. I feel like I can start having some time to myself again. And then you showed up..."

There's suddenly a blush on his cheeks, a shade of red coloring his face, making him look so much younger and naive than he actually is. He does deserve to get that part of his life back, to connect to someone again. She is just not sure she can give him what he needs, she will end up leaving him, just like Marian did. She will have to get back to her life in New York and he will end up alone again, back to where he first started.

"You were... _are_, a breath of fresh air. You make me feel like I can have a life apart of being a father-"

"Robin..."

"I know..." he shakes his head, grimacing, "I'm sorry. I'm sure you weren't expecting to come to my house today and get a lecture about my life... Nor do I want you to feel pressured-"

Regina shakes her head, assures, "It's not that, I just... I don't know if this will help, you know this can't be permanent-"

"I don't think I need something permanent," he interrupts. _Great_... that's just... "I mean, it's hard for me to make those long-distance plans. Just thinking about the word 'permanent' puts me in a lot of pressure, I just... I like to spend time with you, and if you feel the same, why making it so difficult?"

"I don't know, Robin," Regina tells him, a bit more sharply than she intended. She regrets it the moment he leans back with a surprised frown on his face - she really doesn't want to push him away, she honestly wants to give in and give this a chance, "I'm sorry. It's not like I don't want to try, _I do_, I just... don't know what to do."

"Stop thinking."

His hand is suddenly on her cheek, warm and soft against her skin, his thumb tracing lazy patterns on her face. He moved a touch closer to her, with enough space that their noses aren't touching, but close enough to keep her from thinking straight. _Alright,_ she breathes, looking into his eyes, _she can do it_. She will forget all about why she shouldn't, or why this is a bad idea, and will focus on the fact that she likes to spend time with Robin, that they can be friends, and if it happens that they will end up sharing a few kisses, then... well, what's the harm in that?

"Saved by the bell," she hears Robin say with a chuckle, and it takes her a moment to realize that there's a beeping coming from the kitchen, interrupting them before she could even give him an answer. Robin places a kiss on her forehead instead, standing up from the couch before making his way towards the oven, suggesting, "How about we talk about this later and just enjoy our lunch for now?"

**...**

They never get back to the conversation.

She finds herself, about an hour later, curling up on the couch with Robin by her side, mouths meeting, her leg stretched over the man's lap as his hand traces lazy patterns on her ankle. His other arm is stretched over the back of the couch, his fingers tangling in Regina's hair every now and then. They stay like that for a while, trading lazy and soft kisses, just enjoying each other company.

She will blame it on the wine later. Not that she had too much, but definitely enough to make her feel relaxed and loose.

She can't even stop the sigh that escapes from her lips when Robin's hand moves slowly up her leg, rubbing her calf, which honestly feels heaven after spending the whole morning posing on high heels. Regina presses her leg further into Robin's grasp, silently asking him to keep what he is doing, so he does. He puts a bit more pressure on his fingers, intently massaging her tired muscles.

"Hmm, that feels good," she mutters against his mouth, pulling back to lean her head against his stretched arm.

She hums when he asks if it's sore, and whines a bit when he brings the other hand to help with the massage, a whine that quickly turns into a moan when she feels more of his fingers moving against her skin.

He has good hands, she can't help but think. Can't stop imagining him massaging other parts of her body, his hands running over bare skin...

_God, this was a good idea. An excellent idea_. _Who'd have thought that she would feel so relaxed over a simple massage?_

"I think I will be asking you for more of this... photoshoots can be really exhausting."

She opens her eyes to see him chuckling at her words, teasing, "And here you were, about an hour ago, ready to run away from me," which, it shouldn't, but puts a smile on the brunette's face, "Should we talk about it?"

Regina sighs, and she knows that it's probably unfair, that she keeps giving Robin mixed signals, but she really doesn't want to have to make a decision right now. Not when there's wine clouding her judgments, or while Robin is doing that heavenly thing with his hands, his blue eyes focused on her as he waits for Regina to give him an answer.

"I... don't really want to," she admits, an apologetic look on her face, "I know you don't want to think about long-distance plans, and I want to be able to ignore the fact that I will only be here for four more weeks, but... I don't think I can make a decision right now. I know it's not fair-"

"It's okay."

Regina is still a bit taken aback by his reaction, her expression shifting to a frown, still surprised that he seems to accept this whole situation so well. She wishes she could too. She wants nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and do whatever she pleases during this month, wants to explore this connection she feels with Robin, wants to live the present without worrying about the future.

"I'm not asking you to make a decision, I just think we could do just that. Go with the flow."

Regina takes a deep breath, looking deep into his eyes, noticing how hopeful he is that she will be willing to give this a chance, "You're terribly optimistic that this will work."

"I am," he admits, his hand moving to cup her cheek, "Who knows? Maybe we will actually find out that we only want to be good friends."

Robin smirks, and she can't help but laugh when he pulls her back for another kiss, muttering '_This is not what friends usually do_,' before she melts in the feeling of their mouths moving together, slowly, unhurriedly, her arms wrapping loosely around his neck.

They relish in the moment for a bit, not crossing any boundaries, only enjoying each other's company.

She likes it. Truly. She misses having someone to share moments like this with, moments of real affection instead of just physical desire, of letting her guard down with someone ever again - Daniel left a mark in her life that she thought would be difficult to erase, a mark that for so many years kept her from trusting someone enough to build a serious relationship, to be with someone again for something more than just sex.

Maybe this solution with Robin is exactly what she needs for that confidence to be restored. Maybe this will actually be beneficial for both of them.

Regina lets out a moan when Robin's hand moves firmly up her leg, stopping on her hip, before their moment is interrupted when Lady comes running towards the front door, barking incessantly.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"

Regina pulls back from Robin just in time to see a petite brunette walking through the door - she has dark brown hair pulled up in a ponytail, and a shade of red growing on her cheeks. Regina can't even tell who is more embarrassed about what just happened - if herself for being caught kissing Robin by one of his... friends? Or the girl who seems to just want to vanish into the air, and who is being subjected to one of Robin's teasing smirks, "Belle," he stands up from the couch, walking in the brunette's direction, "I wasn't expecting you today."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you were home, I thought about taking Lady for a walk before picking up Roland from school-" the girl stumbles over the words, though Robin doesn't let her finish before his smile turns into a grimace and he says, "It's my fault, I totally forgot to tell you I'm picking up Roland today."

Belle seems to relax a little at his words, but her attention is now shifting towards the brunette sitting on the couch, and God... isn't this awkward?

"Hi, I'm Regina," she decides to introduce herself, hoping to make the moment less uncomfortable. If only that was true...

"Oh..." the woman replies, her eyes moving to meet Robin's. Regina frowns in confusion. What is happening here? Why are they acting so complicit all of a sudden?

She stands up from the couch to stop beside Robin, his hand surprisingly reaching for one of hers.

"I told her about our date," he admits guiltily, making the young girl chuckle.

"It's so nice to meet you!"

"Belle is like a little sister to me," Robin tells her with a roll of his eyes, laughing at the girl's enthusiasm.

Regina doesn't know how to react, too stunned at the information to think about something to say. She didn't think Robin had talked about her to any of his friends (to be fair, she talked about Robin to Emma, but that's something women do, and the blonde is her best friend, she didn't think their date had been special enough that would make Robin share the information with one of his friends - that's bullshit, she knows it, but it's still a bit surprising).

"I'm sorry, this is awkward," Regina tries to laugh, but it comes out a little forced, which doesn't help the situation in the slightest. She gives Robin's hand a squeeze before letting go, moving to reach for her purse hanging by the door, "I should go. I don't want to make you late to pick up Roland."

He's preparing to assure her he's not, but she doesn't give him the opportunity to do it - she's not mad, but she was taken by surprise, and she's honestly nervous about having met one of the most important people in Robin's life. So Regina leans closer to press a kiss to his cheek, offering the other brunette a nod of her head, before walking out the door.

**...**

She is lying in bed later that night. She's trying to distract herself with a movie, but her thoughts keep wandering to Robin and his friend, and how she probably made a fool of herself when she practically ran out of his apartment early that afternoon. To make things worse, her phone buzzes on the bedside table with a message from said man, asking, _'I'm sorry about this afternoon, are we okay?', _which only makes Regina grimace (no wonder Robin thinks she's upset).

She answers, _'We are fine,' _before placing the phone back on the bedside table and reaching for the remote, decided to find something worthy of her attention.

She's overreacting, she thinks to herself. She met one of his friends - big deal - she doesn't have to feel pressured about her relationship with Robin. Well... she does. She doesn't want to hurt him. She doesn't want him to start introducing her to his friends, and family, only for her to get out of his life as quickly as she entered. His 'little sister', as he had put it, would not be very happy, and with very good reason, Robin deserves to find someone with whom he can build a future.

_'Are you sure?'_ he asks, and she can't help but smile softly at his concern, wondering if she is being silly about something so trivial.

_'Yeah, it was just a surprise, can we forget about it?'_

_'Of course,' _it comes not even a minute later, putting her mind at rest.

She will talk to him later, if it's even necessary. For now, she will wish him a good night and focus on her movie, hoping the next day will help her see things more clearly.

* * *

**Please tell me if you liked it, I love hearing your thoughts :)**


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